


The Buttons Not To Push

by fififolle, rain_sleet_snow



Series: A Question Of Trust [4]
Category: Primeval
Genre: F/M, M/M, Relationship Advice, Relationship Problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2018-03-10 21:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3304871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fififolle/pseuds/fififolle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_sleet_snow/pseuds/rain_sleet_snow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lorraine discusses the problem of her jealous boyfriend, Blade, with Stephen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Buttons Not To Push

**Author's Note:**

> Blade belongs to the very awesome fredbassett.

Lorraine heard her phone bleeping and picked it up, seeing Niall's name - her heart flipped anxiously.  
  
They'd argued on Wednesday night, and then he'd scared her half to death again this morning when she'd seen his jealous side. When would they be back to the way they were before? Maybe never.  
  
With a heavy heart she pressed the button and read his message.  
  
` _want me 2 come home 4 T with U_`  
  
She swallowed hard, and her eyes flicked up to the office door, nervous that anyone might see her like this. Did she want him to accompany her home, as he often did these days? Surely she wasn't afraid?  
  
Her message back was short. She would see him tomorrow, and maybe when there was more time at the weekend she could try to explain.  
  
` _Sorry. Expecting to work v late. See you tomorrow?_`  
  
She hit send and ignored her conscience.  
  
Long after Lester had gone home, long after she had completed all her tasks for the day, and long after Blade would have left the building, Lorraine went down to the armoury.  
  
~  
  
Loading her handgun, she wondered when target practice had become her refuge from her problems.  
  
When Stephen appeared unexpectedly, she was happy for the distraction, and grateful that Blade was unlikely to be jealous if he found her alone with the handsome Hart. She hoped. Everyone knew that Stephen was gay, but he was still a _man_ , and suddenly she wasn't sure that Blade would even take his orientation into consideration.  
  
“Hello, Stephen. You're here late.”  
  
He gave her a knowing smile. “So are you. I have the excuse that Ryan asked me to fit in my target practice while him and Ditzy share curry and beer and fart a lot.”  
  
She chuckled appropriately, deliberately not looking at him.  
  
"So..." Stephen said with circumspection, "You and Blade. How is that?"  
  
Lorraine hesitated. She looked at Stephen's open, friendly smile, and bit her lip. He gave her a puzzled look as she hesitated. Quietly, she said, "Have you ever been afraid of Tom, Stephen?"  
  
Stephen looked at her for a moment, then put his gun down carefully and came across to her. "Lorraine, what's happened?"  
  
She shook her head, suddenly regretting her question. "Nothing. Not really."  
  
She should have known she was only making things worse by backing out. Stephen gripped her shoulders gently with both hands.  
  
"Lorraine, has Niall hurt you?"  
  
She met his worried eyes. "No! I promise. But... this is going to sound stupid... Stephen, I saw his jealous side, and it reminded me how dangerous he is, how strong." She looked away.  
  
Stephen, sounding relieved, took a deep breath. "Hm. Yeah, I can see Blade as the jealous type. I think Tom was so used to seeing me flirt with everyone on the planet he'd given up on jealousy. I took a while to realise I was hurting him."  
  
Lorraine looked back to see Stephen with regret in his eyes, but before she could comment, Stephen spoke again.  
  
"What on earth were you doing that made him jealous?"  
  
Lorraine sniffed. Yes, normally she was the height of discretion - calm, efficient, logical. The very last person in the ARC to be flirting. That was before Blade had shouted at her and thrown her life into disarray.  
  
"It was perfectly innocent. Blade was there! I let Danny show me how to shoot." She sounded defensive and she knew it.  
  
Stephen's eyes widened with his grin, then he suppressed a laugh. "You didn't."  
  
She nodded glumly.  
  
"Oh. You did." He frowned. "Danny wouldn't have been trying it on, though?"  
  
She shook her head. Danny was a lot of things, but one of them, strangely, was a perfect gentleman. "I wish I'd stopped him. I knew Blade didn't like it. I was trying to pay him back for our argument. Now I might be afraid of him and I don't know what to do." She covered her eyes with her hand.  
  
Stephen wrapped his arms around her, and she hoped to God Blade was a million miles away.  
  
"Oh, Lorraine. You know these soldiers. You've worked among them for, what, four years, maybe? Yes, they are trained to kill, but Blade's not an idiot. He has a hot head when he's fired up, but he'd never hurt you, and he'd never do anything stupid. You need to talk to him. He knows deep down that Danny isn't that kind of guy - if I was straight it's more the kind of thing I'd do."  
  
She chuckled, curling into his embrace.  
  
Quietly, he continued, "I learned with Tom that there are some buttons you don't push. It's just the way it is. Please, talk to Niall before this wrecks what you have. I think you're great for each other, and I think you can get through this."  
  
She breathed deep, pressed to his shoulder, thinking hard, before embarrassment got the better of her and she pulled away, smoothing her skirt and patting her hair.  
  
"Thank you, Stephen. I think you might be right about the buttons. Niall is quite... complicated, but I think I care enough to work him out."  
  
Stephen grinned at her. "I'm glad. Now how about that target practice? I'd love to know if Danny helped your aim." He laughed sceptically, and she batted him on the arm.  
  
"What do you think? Even the divisional champ isn't a patch on me," she smiled.  
  
~


End file.
